See what’s underneath.
Support what comes next.

Meet Sarah Elaine, OTR/L

The skills behind
the job of living.

Occupational Therapy is often misunderstood—even by families whose children receive services. At its heart, OT is about building the skills we need to participate in the everyday “jobs” of living. For children, those jobs begin in infancy and grow through every stage of development: moving, eating, sleeping, playing, connecting, caring for themselves, learning, and participating in family and community life. For me, that work is inseparable from human connection: when adults understand what they are seeing, they can meet a child with greater ease, curiosity, and support.

We tend to focus on the outcome: Can a baby tolerate tummy time? Can a child use a spoon, get dressed, join play, move through a transition, or follow a direction? But living does not happen only in the outcome. It happens in everything that gets us there—in regulation, attention, body awareness, sensory processing, strength, coordination, memory, sequencing, confidence, and knowing when and how to ask for help.

“It is not simply whether a child can or cannot do something. The most useful information is found in the in-between.”

Parents know what their child can do because they have seen it with their own eyes. Yet that ability may not happen consistently across different people, places, routines, or levels of demand. When we only see the outcome, it is easy for frustration to take over: “They are not listening,” “They are just not focused,” or “I know they can do this.” Learning how to look more closely changes the interaction. Instead of assuming unwillingness, we can notice what is interfering and respond to what the child actually needs.

Why this work matters

Childhood is filled with meaningful jobs. A baby works to feel safe in their body, connect with a caregiver, move against gravity, explore, eat, and sleep. As children grow, their jobs expand to include play, communication, self-care, relationships, routines, learning, and increasing independence. Every visible outcome rests on developing skills underneath it.

This belief shapes everything I create, including Ready, Set, Kindergarten!—one practical way to help parents notice the skills beneath participation during an important transition. But this way of looking begins long before kindergarten and continues throughout childhood. A child who appears not to be listening may be overwhelmed by language, distracted by sensation, unsure of the sequence, or working so hard to manage their body that little attention remains for the task. When an adult can see the difference, the response becomes less about repeated correction and more about giving the child a strategy that works.

The goal is not for adults to anticipate every need. It is to help children understand and support themselves. There is tremendous value in a child being able to say, “I need help,” and begin to know what kind of help works. Parents will not be everywhere their child goes. That self-awareness—and the feeling of being understood—can go with them.

My goal is to translate as much of what I have learned as possible, so more parents and caregivers can look beneath the behavior, create greater ease instead of frustration, strengthen their connection with their child, and support meaningful participation.